Pallof Press
Standing side-on to a cable set at chest height, you press the handle straight out from your chest and hold it there, resisting the cable's pull to rotate you.
- Primary muscles
- Obliques, Abs
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Logged as
- Weight × reps
Loads from YouTube only when you press play. The video is by an independent creator.
Why do it
The Pallof press is an anti-rotation exercise: your obliques and abs work to keep your torso still rather than to move it. It suits anyone who wants core work done standing, without crunching, and beginners pick it up quickly. On a cable, the pull stays the same through the whole press and you can add weight in small steps, which makes progress easier to track than with a band. Make it harder by stepping further out, holding the extended position longer, or switching to a split or kneeling stance.
How to do it
Set a single handle at chest height, stand side-on to the machine and hold the handle with both hands at your chest.
Step away until the cable is taut and set your feet shoulder-width apart.
Press your hands straight out in front of your chest and hold for a second while the cable tries to twist you.
Bring your hands back to your chest and repeat, then face the other way. Do not let your hips or shoulders rotate at all.
Common mistakes
Rotating toward the machine
If your hips or shoulders turn even slightly, the cable is winning. Lower the weight until you can press out and back with your torso completely still.
Setting the handle too high or low
A handle above or below chest height adds a lifting or pulling angle. Line it up with your chest so the cable pulls straight sideways.
Pumping the handle without a pause
The hardest moment is with your arms extended, when the lever is longest. Hold there briefly each rep instead of pumping the handle in and out.
Rounding your shoulders forward
Letting your shoulders round as you press turns it into a reach. Keep your shoulder blades set and your chest up as your arms extend.
Sets, reps and progression
How many sets you do and how close to failure you take them depend on your goal and your week, not on the exercise. These guides cover it:
Alternatives that train the same thing
Same movement, a different angle or piece of equipment.
